Approval of the Site C dam is an outrage

December 11, 2017 (OTTAWA) – A statement in condemnation of the B.C. government’s recent decision to approve the Site C dam.

Elizabeth May (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands) said: “The NDP government in British Columbia has betrayed its supporters who have worked for years to stop Christy Clark’s boondoggle. The decision is hugely irresponsible from a fiscal, environmental, legal and economic standpoint. Like Muskrat Falls in Newfoundland and Labrador, this $15 billion disaster will continue to sink into red ink to generate power at a price no one can afford. The facts regarding the Site C dam were reinforced by the recently-released B.C. Utilities Commission final report. The report confirmed that the project will be outrageously expensive for ratepayers and taxpayers, is entirely unnecessary, and will put the future prosperity of the province in serious jeopardy.”

Lorraine Rekmans, the Green Party’s Critic for Indigenous Affairs, said: “I am deeply concerned for the rights of the Treaty 8 First Nations and local families in the Peace River valley, on whose traditional territories and properties, respectively, massive flooding for the dam will take place. Instead of approving the dam, the government had an opportunity to pursue renewable energy projects alongside these First Nations and communities. The Green Party wishes to extend our solidarity with the Treaty 8 First Nations and affected communities, and supports their pursuit of all avenues necessary to protect their rights.”